Now this is the mass Market of Australian EV purchasing, and I tell you what it is: a hotly contested category. The finalists this year from my right is the Kia ev6 shown here in air form. Next is the Volvo C40 recharge pure electric next to me, is last years winner, the Hyundai ioniq 5.. Behind me, the Tesla Model Y and, of course over there on the side, is the Genesis gv60, which one of these cars will take the overall prize, but lets find out drive car of the year is our annual vehicle testing Bonanza. We get all the good stuff from the air and get everything together to see which one is Best in Class are impartial and independent team of journalists tests these vehicles on road then dynamically in a safe environment for the best electric car category between 70 and 120 000, we honed in on efficiency, packaging, space and drivability in urban and rural environments, well joining me now to go through the finalists that this category is Justin, who is our head judge Justin, starting with the Genesis gb60 mate? This is a really good cardless Genesis: gv60. Its also the most expensive car we have on tests, so naturally the interior is absolutely stunning. All of the judges, love the fit and finish and the quality of the Interior. However, there are a couple of things on a road Loop that did catch this car out. Although overtly styled and likely to draw attention, the Genesis gv60 is not as spacious on the inside as the rest of the pack.

It just goes to show you that out their design can come with some compromises. The interior presentation fit out and quality is first class. However, with high end feeling, materials found everywhere from the roof lighting to the lower sections of the doors, its a fast car too, but also the most expensive car here, which begs the question. How much is too much power? Cars like the ionic, 5 and Tesla Model y offer way more performance than youll ever need yet come with a far more palatable price tag, theyre also both more comfortable than the gv60 on the road as well. Well, now, one of the most hotly anticipated cars to enter the Australian Market this year and already the second best selling electric vehicle, the Tesla Model y Justin. How did it perform Im so glad we have the Tesla Model y here. Tesla have long been The Benchmark for electric vehicles, and this model Y is a fantastic car. The performance is unbelievable when it was great through the slalom, but the judges did catch out. A few things on the interior, Teslas minimal interior design never really gets sold. Although the brand pioneered the single big screen layout a few years ago, now theres no denying how intuitive the system is or how powerful it is either. However, its not all praise as the brand persists, with using a tidy speedometer in the corner of the screen. Thats not in front of your eyes and we think its a little bit annoying.

However, the judges praise the cabin space in both the first and second rows and love the way it tackled. The evasive driving exercises for a brand thats, relatively young Tesla, have truly built a remarkable car. Well now we have last years winner of this category, the Hyundai ioniq 5. Justin. We both like this car. How did this one perform Woody? I absolutely love the ironing 5. Just like you may it performed really well on test judges love the way it drove judges loved the interior. But this is a really really tight segment and sadly, there can only be one winner. Hyundais ionic 5 is an absolute Gem of an electric car. Its boxy styling creates a really spacious cabin and that walked through first row of seating, really makes it feel Airy. The quality of the fit out inside is there too, although it is a little simple and regular looking for what is a stylistic future thinking. Electric vehicle in terms of the drive its great, however, with competent handling in all wheel, drive, form and plenty of comfort offered by its suspension in terms of efficiency. We saw close to the claim driving range during testing, which is another strong point of the Hyundai ioniq. 5., another new camera to Market this year. That does look a little bit familiar from the front, but at the back we have a swoopy coupe. This is the new Volvo C40 recharge, pure electric same as the xc40, but in a arguably more stylish platform, Justin theres a lot to like about the Volvo absolutely.

I was really excited to drive this car. I love Volvo products personally, theyre really minimal clean and simple. However, this car does have some shortcomings that the judges picked up on the ride and handling Loop. Although not a clean sheet. Electric vehicle Volvo has done a great job in outfitting, its internal combustion car to become its first ever dedicated small electric vehicle. The judges loved the interior design, how familiar it felt with the rest of the Volvo range and also praised the quality of the cabin execution. However, on the road it can feel heavy and bulky with one judge saying it looks Nimble but feels anything, but it felt quite firm on the road Loop too, which didnt help it at all. Some of the other competitors in this class have done a better job of pulling the wool over your eyes and making a heavy electric car feel light and Nimble, and now a final finalist. Another newcomer this year. The Kia ev6 shown here in its most affordable air format Justin this car has been again a real impressive product in Market this year. What have we found on testing? Interestingly, this car, the Genesis and the Hyundai all ride on the same platform, but they feel totally different. This Kia ev6 is an absolute star. It surprised us on the slalom it surprise us on the road Loop, the packaging, the whole thing everything about this car is just top notch. What do I reckon terrific key is ev6 is certainly a sporty Choice from the mainstream litter on our tests.

This year it turned through the swerve and avoid almost elegantly and felt great on the road Loop we put it on its cabin is one of the bigger ones of the five cars on test two making it the ideal electric car for a budding young family. We had the entry level Kia air on test, but it didnt feel entry level in any way. Its well equipped features all of the right safety gear and proved to be decently energy efficient during testing in terms of braking from 100 kilometers to zero. Both the Kia, ev6 and Genesis gb60 stopped in 36.1 meters or a bit over what a hot hatch would pull up. In the same scenario, the Hyundai stopped over 36.8 meters, the Tesla Model Y 37.1 and the Volvo C40 out in front at 37.4. Zero to 100 kilometer times vary too, with the Volvo C40 being the fastest at 4.8 seconds. Next up was the ionic 5 at 5.3. Gv60 and 5.6 Tesla Model Y and 7.1 and lastly, the Kia ev6 is 7.2 seconds. So five impressive, finalists in a very hotly contested drive car of the year category, but they can be only one winner and for 2023. The winner is the Kia ev6. It takes a category with an average score of 4.2 across the judging panel. It was a close race for second, though, with the Tesla Model y finishing on a final score of 4.0. In terms of our ideal configuration of class winning Kia ev6, we recommend the entry level air trim overall, the 70 000 to 120 000 electric vehicle category was one of the closest contests in this years.

Car of the Year. A lot of Judges rightly praised the Tesla Model Y, and it had some stiff competition. It was was up against the Kia, Hyundai and Genesis electric cars, which are basically the same vehicle with different top hats. In the end, the judges decided the Kia ev6 was the best value, had the longest warranty and was the best to drive highlights for the Kia. Ev6 include a long driving range seven year warranty and a really roomy cabin. Now, some of the reasons it won its a very affordable car in that price range, but its also got a good variety of options. Its one of the roomiest inside it has the best driving range of all of its competitors and its very well equipped its also a lot of fun to drive. Well, considering this is the entry level model to the ev6 lineup, its still a really impressive interior youve got some very nicely laid out components: theres, good storage, youve got cup holders, theres a storage cubby here, theres charge points for your phone, so all the kind of Day to day and well expected mods but being a ground up, EV youve got extra storage down below theres a lot of room. It feels Airy and spacious in here, as well as feeling highly functional. Youve got this great twin screen layer, which is the latest operating system that weve seen from Kia. So it is their cutting each level of technology and as a car, and especially as a as an electric car, it really does give you the taste of the future of Motoring.

There is a heap of room in the back of the ev6 being a ground up. Electric platform means there is no transmission tunnel on the floor, so youve got a lovely flat floor. There is heaps of leg, room and toe room for all three passengers across here, and you can see. I can really spread out. Whats really clever, though, is that theyve integrated the USB ports into the back of this seats and the vents into the pillars. So youve got all the amenity that you want, but its not cluttering around the center nice thinking and also in the back row. You even get a regular three pin power outlet. How handy is that arcade ev6 air on test has a full electric range of 528 kilometers and can charge from zero to eighty percent in around 70 minutes, with a 50 kilowatt charger or 18 minutes with a fast 350 kilowatt charger. The hatchback body of the ev6 gives it plenty of space. Youve got 490 liters back here that you can expand with handy remote release levers to 1270 liters plus under the Bonnet theres. Another 52 liters of storage. Now here in the boot, because obviously youve got electric motors and batteries and things under the floor, theres no spare tire, but you do have storage for your cables, so they dont rattle around lets. Go for a drive! Well, one of the key things about the ev6 that does set it apart from others, in its competitive set as Kia have taken the time to adjust the suspension and ride Dynamics to suit Australian roads, which is a really really big part of why this car works.

So well, basically, wherever you are in town or out in the countryside, the rear wheel, drive ev6 has got a an efficiency rating of around 17 to 18 kilowatt hours per 100 kilometers, which is really really impressive. For a car of of this size, youve seen how much room there is. It really is a very usable platform in terms of being both a fast and fun AV, as well as being an economical one. There are a number of ev6 models you can choose from the rear wheel. Drive that we have here is probably the best because you get the best level of efficiency from the battery. But if you want more performance, there is an all wheel, drive version and even a forthcoming ev6 GT that basically provides you Supercar performance in the Practical platform that this car is theres, a full Suite of driver assistance technology. Everything is easy to use and if you have come from another Kia, youll be familiar with how everything works in this car and I think, as a vehicle that may be your first electric vehicle. The ev6 is a really really strong proposition and definitely worthy of its drive car of the year. Best electric vehicle between 70 and 120 000 dont forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel and also visit drive.com to read all of our Drive card of the Year coverage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnY2GBwxLJs